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April 7, 2018

Cremini Mushroom & Tofu Quiche

For as long as I can remember – from grade school right up until my last project manager role – I’ve always been praised for my attention to detail. Being succinct, however, has never been my strong suit 😝. During my recent blogging ‘hiatus’ (thanks to a sinus/head cold) these past few weeks I took some time to review my last few posts and couldn’t help but come to the conclusion that I am still very much a ‘wordy’ writer. In the spirit of less is more – especially since the busy season is gearing up at work — I’m going to try my hand at writing shorter posts (and no doubt sneak in some quirky humour where possible lol). Today I bring you my recipe for Cremini Mushroom & Tofu Quiche.

Three reasons why you should give this recipe a try:

1/Flaky, buttery-like crust. Red palm oil (sustainably-sourced) – as an alternative to butter — gives the crust a striking red-gold colour you will fall in love with.
2/Creamy egg-like filling made with a blend of cremini mushrooms, firm tofu, white miso and smoked gouda.
3/Quiche rocks…what else can I say!

Inquiring minds want to know:

Are mushrooms vegan? My lovely neighbour Lynda popped by the night I was making this dish and she surprised me with this question. After all (as she pointed out) mushrooms are often grown in compost which can be derived from animal sources. Just when I thought being vegan couldn’t be any more complicated lol. I thought it was interesting to share here that mushrooms are neither plant or animal…they are fungi which means they feed themselves by absorbing nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter around them. My conviction (as a vegan) is to restrict my diet to foods that do not cause harm/suffering and or exploit sentient beings . I’m OK with eating mushrooms — ‘nough said 😃.

Egg-centric

Wikipedia defines quiche as a “savoury open tart or flan consisting of pastry crust filled with eggs, milk or cream, and cheese, meat, seafood or vegetables”. A quick search for “quiche” on Food Network Canada.ca (no less) yields 107 results for traditional eggs and cream-based quiche yet only one result for a vegan quiche tart. I am optimistic the day will (soon) come when the definitions of food/dishes are more inclusive.

Fungi factoids:

I thought I’d share a few interesting food facts I uncovered during my research for this recipe:

-cremini mushrooms have a deeper, earthier flavour than whites

-portabello is the larger relative of cremini

-mushrooms (notably the Portabella) is often used as a substitute for meat earning them the name ‘beefsteak for the poor’

-mushrooms contain vitamin D. They are the only fruit or vegetable source of this critical vitamin.

7/Transfer filling to your prepared pie crust. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes or until filling is hot and cheese has melted.

8/Remove from the oven. Let cool for 5 minutes; slice and serve!

Recipe Notes

*How to prepare Pie CrustNote:Makes four small pie crusts or two large pie crusts. I recommend using half of this recipe for a single large crust (eg 8” x 13” dish)
Recipe inspired by Never Fail Pie Crust from Made Everyday with Dana

I recommend baking the pie crust “blind” (without filling) and letting it cool ahead of baking with the mushrooms and tofu. Also, be sure to vent the crust before baking to prevent it from becoming too ‘pillowy’.

2/Add butter and palm oil. Cut in the butter and oil using the Turbo setting: 4 pulses at 0.5 seconds.

3/In a small prep bowl whisk together the flax egg, apple cider vinegar and water. Add to the TM bowl. Knead for 45 seconds.

4/Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll the crust (from the middle out) until it’s approx 1 inch larger than the size of your baking dish. Transfer prepared crust to the baking dish and gently fit it in place (don’t pull or tug on the crust). Tuck the overhang under on the edge of the pan; pinch the edges (using your fingers) for a fancy finish. Important: Using the tines of a fork poke holes in the bottom of the crust.

5/Bake the pie crust ‘blind’ (without any filling) at 375F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and add a few additional holes in the bottom of the crust and/or vent any air pockets that form. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool before adding your filling.

Note: You may notice the sides of the dough may sag during baking. Be sure to touch up the edges at the 10 minute mark.
Tip: The dough may be frozen and thawed for future use (hooray!)